Berkeley Heights man sentenced to 1 year for sex assault on Continental flight

John Hughes/BloombergNewark International Airport in this May 2010 file photo.

NEWARK — A 65-year-old man was sentenced today to a year in prison for sexually touching a woman who fell asleep next to him on a 15-hour flight from Hong Kong to Newark.

Ramesh Advani was sitting in Row 36 on a Continental flight when he waited until the woman fell asleep, reached under her blanket and sexually assaulted her in such a graphic and noticeable way that two passengers, seated a row behind, started kicking the woman’s seat until she woke up and realized what was going on, federal authorities said.

Advani was sentenced in federal court in Newark today by U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh.

The sentence included a $10,000 fine.

In April, he had pleaded guilty to an information charging him with abusive sexual contact, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the government in May 2010, Advani had allegedly "... touched the Victim in the area of the Victim’s genitalia, groin, and inner thigh" and had allegedly 'penetrated'" her. In addition, the complaint alleged, "Witnesses observed, by looking between the seats, that … Advani … placed the napkins inside (his) pants … in what appeared to be an effort to clean his genital area."